Nizza is the italian name of Nice, city that belongs to France from 1860. By the way it is the city in which was born Giuseppe Garibaldi. He never forgave Vittorio Emanuele II (former king of Piedmont and later king of Italy) for having exchanged the city of Nice and the Savoy (treaty of Plombieres) with the permission of France (Emperor Napoleon III) to the unification of Italy .

The role of the forces defending Rome was not quite so passive. The nucleus of this body of troops had begun to form on 20 July to protect the government against a possible Fascist reaction to Mussolini's imminent overthrow. Since 29 July the troops had been alerted to act against the possibility of a German stroke against the capital. Under the immediate command of Roatta, chief of the Army General Staff, the force consisted of three corps.

The Corpo d'Armata di Roma, controlling the Sassari Division, carabinieri, and service and school troops, was within Rome and had as its task the internal defense of the city against SS agents and other special German troops stationed there.

The XVII Corps had small detachments of the 220th and 221st Coastal Divisions distributed along the coast from Tarquinia to the Volturno River--a distance of 125 miles--and the Piacenza Division interspersed among units of the German 2d Parachute Division.

General Carboni's Motorized Corps controlled the Ariete Armored and Piave Motorized Divisions north of Rome, the Centauro Armored Division east of the capital, and the Granatieri Division south of the city.

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University of Science Music and Culture (USMC) class of 71 and 72 ~ Extraneous (AKA Mziln)

Sicialian, Domenico, conte. - General (Cirò 1879 - Rome 1938); Italian-Turk (1911-12 participated to the war) and to first world war (1915-18). After Caporetto he directed the Office he prints and propaganda, and he compiled the 4 nov. 1918 the historical bulletin of the Victoria. In the post-war period he was military attache to River de Janeiro (1924) and governor of Cirenaica (1929-31). In the 1935 taken part to the war of Ethiopia, and in 1936 commant the Army corps with Rome.

What I would say is that there is rather limited information on the Italian Army on a corps level available in english- either web based or in written material that I have been able to find. I have never seen the list of corps -with associated names- that you show here!

Usually commentary I have found is on a divisional or regimental basis. There are of course references to specific corps formations in certain circumstances and of course in orders of battle etc in snapshots of time- but the flavour of the units is not evident for the most part and this has to be sought on a smaller formation level. Italian corps were generally administrative rather than operational (with exceptions) and covered specific theatres while their actual divisional components swapped about on a fairly regular basis.

With the greatest of respects to ADG, the WIF unit list for the Italian army needs taking with a serious pinch of salt- there are typos (eg "Mizza", "Amendeo"), hypothetical and fictional units, and various examples of divisions or even smaller units being represented as corps (San Marco Marines "corps" for example). In writing them up for the most part I have tried to impart flavour to the units while taking the opportunity to give the Italians a bit more balanced (ie more positive!) coverage than they get from the usual sources. Since I could find no reference to any significant unit which matched the description of a "Roma" Motorised corps, especially from the start of the war, I thought I would use the opportunity to provide some generic info on the limitations of the Italian Army's inadequate attempts to motorise.

I think you could make a case for utilising the description you provide here, however the motorised corps referred in your referecne to is not the Corpo D'armato "Roma" which as Paul comments below is a fairly cobbled-together bunch of infantry and reserves. I can see VIII corps in the 1940 order of battle as part of 7th Army and it is an infantry formation, and not ever motorised. It is difficult to argue this as a unit consistent with the one in Rome in 1943. (VIII: reserve 6/40 greek-albanian front 11/40-4/41 occupation of peloponnesos 5/41-/43).

Carboni's "Motocorazzato" corps referred to in the article (comprising Ariete II,, Centauro, Piave, and some grenadiers) and heavily involved in the defence of Rome is, I think, better covered under the "Motor" Mot Corps (1942)- which is still to be completed. The reference material you provide is very welcome.

I think its swings and roundabouts to be honest but it is good that people take an interest!

What I would say is that there is rather limited information on the Italian Army on a corps level available in english- either web based or in written material that I have been able to find. I have never seen the list of corps -with associated names- that you show here!

Usually commentary I have found is on a divisional or regimental basis. There are of course references to specific corps formations in certain circumstances and of course in orders of battle etc in snapshots of time- but the flavour of the units is not evident for the most part and this has to be sought on a smaller formation level. Italian corps were generally administrative rather than operational (with exceptions) and covered specific theatres while their actual divisional components swapped about on a fairly regular basis.

With the greatest of respects to ADG, the WIF unit list for the Italian army needs taking with a serious pinch of salt- there are typos (eg "Mizza", "Amendeo"), hypothetical and fictional units, and various examples of divisions or even smaller units being represented as corps (San Marco Marines "corps" for example). In writing them up for the most part I have tried to impart flavour to the units while taking the opportunity to give the Italians a bit more balanced (ie more positive!) coverage than they get from the usual sources. Since I could find no reference to any significant unit which matched the description of a "Roma" Motorised corps, especially from the start of the war, I thought I would use the opportunity to provide some generic info on the limitations of the Italian Army's inadequate attempts to motorise.

I think you could make a case for utilising the description you provide here, however the motorised corps referred in your referecne to is not the Corpo D'armato "Roma" which as Paul comments below is a fairly cobbled-together bunch of infantry and reserves. I can see VIII corps in the 1940 order of battle as part of 7th Army and it is an infantry formation, and not ever motorised. It is difficult to argue this as a unit consistent with the one in Rome in 1943. (VIII: reserve 6/40 Greek-Albanian front 11/40-4/41 occupation of Peloponnesos 5/41-/43).

Carboni's "Motocorazzato" corps referred to in the article (comprising Ariete II, Centauro, Piave, and some grenadiers) and heavily involved in the defence of Rome is, I think, better covered under the "Motor" Mot Corps (1942)- which is still to be completed. The reference material you provide is very welcome.

I think its swings and roundabouts to be honest but it is good that people take an interest!

On August 15, 1943 'Acqui' forces in Kerkyra remained under XXVI corpo d'armata, but the ones in Kefalonia were under VIII corpo d'armata (HQ at Agrinion; this corps moved from the Peloponnese to Aetolia in Italian Forces in the Ionian Islands August 6, 1943 it was supposed to form with the 'Acqui' and 'Casale' divisions and the German 104 Jäger Division).

VIII Corpo d'armata (these units actually made up Corpo D'Armata di Manovra (XX Corps). Orbat doesn’t show a XX Corps this could be the error.) Divisione autotrasportabile AS (Trasportable Divisions for North Africa) Pavia Divisione autotrasportabile AS (Trasportable Divisions for North Africa) Brescia Divisione autotrasportabile AS (Trasportable Divisions for North Africa) Sirte

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University of Science Music and Culture (USMC) class of 71 and 72 ~ Extraneous (AKA Mziln)

In my opinion I dont think it appropriate to represent Roma MOT as VIII corps because VIII corps was never motorised. What I would propose is that I add a by-line to the description to refer to the Corpo d'armata Roma (ie VIII corps) in passing.

We have a specific unit list to write for, this excludes the AiF/PatiF expansions which are not in the scope of the game. In terms of XX corps this gives a good example of the juggling required between reality and game-creator's licence.

[4834 Submarine] .P These write-ups give a brief history of one or more vessels from each of the main classes of submarine used by the Kriegsmarine during World War II. World In Flames submarine counters represent a number of submarines rather than any specific individual boat. The dates printed on the back of the counters do not tie up in any meaningful way with build dates for the various classes of German submarine, and therefore the counter date in most cases should be ignored. .P During the First World War the submarines of the Kaiser's navy came close to starving the United Kingdom into surrender. Following Germany's defeat, their entire submarine fleet was handed over to the Allies and the German navy was forbidden to use submarines in future. .P Secretly however, the Germans continued to work on new designs - and indeed in the late twenties, German designed submarines were sold to Turkey and Finland via a "Dutch" company operating in Holland. .P Development of designs and ideas continued until, in March 1935, Adolf Hitler formally repudiated the Treaty of Versailles. Germany then openly set about re-arming their armed forces, including the Kriegsmarine. .P Shortly after this announcement, the German and British Governments signed the Anglo-German Naval Agreement. Under the terms of this treaty, the German navy was allowed to build a fleet no greater than 35% of the Royal Navy's total tonnage. Subject to this limitation, the Kriegsmarine's submarine service was allowed to equal that of the Royal Navy. .P Thus at the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, the Kriegsmarine's submarines (in German Unterseeboot or simply U-boat) numbered a mere fifty-seven boats - the same as the Royal Navy. Of these, only twenty-six were suitable for Atlantic operations. However, the Germans embarked upon a huge expansion program and during the war, well over 1,000 boats were constructed. .P There were some spectacular early successes; the sinking of the battleship Royal Oak and the aircraft carrier Courageous ranking high amongst them. Later, when U-boats were deployed in the Mediterranean, further success was achieved against the Royal Navy; the carrier Ark Royal and the battleship Barham were high profile victims to the power of the U-boat. .P But it was the outcome of the Battle of the Atlantic upon which the U-boat arm would be ultimately judged, and early in the war, successful attacks on Allied merchant shipping proved a severe problem for the British. With the conquest of Norway, and in particular, France by June 1940, the U-boats were able to operate from ports that gave much easier access to the Atlantic and extended the time the U-boats could be operational against enemy shipping. .P Winston Churchill said that the Battle of the Atlantic - and in particular the U-boat menace - was the only thing that scared him during World War II; with the serious merchant ship losses incurred from mid 1940 until early 1941 (known by the U-boat crews as the first "Happy Time") it is easy to see why. There was to be a second, albeit brief, "Happy Time" after the United States entered the war in December 1941, but by then, the tide had already begun to turn. .P Ultimately the Allies were able to beat the U-boats for a number of reasons: there was the convoy system and the sheer number of escorts that the Allies were able to field; the Allies were able to maintain the pace of technological advances to improve their ability to conduct anti-submarine warfare; conventional escort ships, such as destroyers and corvettes, were later supplemented by escort aircraft carriers that could provide a measure of air protection to a convoy; and last but not least, aircraft - which were the U-boats greatest enemy - were able to fly from the United Kingdom, Iceland and later the United States meaning that the entire convoy route could be covered by aircraft. .P By late 1942, although the U-boats were still sinking Allied shipping, the cost to the Kriegsmarine in terms of men and boats, was becoming critical. With Germany not geared up to fight a long war, the resources available to counter the Allies simply were not available and the Kriegsmarine's response to the ever growing Allied threat proved simply too little, too late. .P The U-boat service suffered more losses per head than any branch of any service of any country in World War II. Of the 40,000 men that served in U-boats during the conflict, no less than 28,000 were killed and a further 8,000 were taken prisoner. .P This write-up looks at the Type VIIB U-boats, and in particular the U-47. .B .B Name: U-47 .B Engine(s) output: 2 x 1400 bhp (Surfaced) 2 x 375 shp (Submerged) .B Top Speed: 17.2 knots (Surfaced), 8 knots (Submerged) .B Main armament: 5 x 21-inch torpedo tubes and 1 x 3.5-inch (88mm) gun .B Displacement (Fully Submerged): 857 tons .B Diving Depth: 720 ft .P The Type VII U-boat became the backbone of the U-boat fleet in World War II. A total of 709 boats were built, spread over seven variants. These boats were real all-rounders; they were not necessarily the biggest, fastest or the most powerfully armed boats, but the package proved a formidable weapon. They were capable of being built relatively quickly, cheaply and in large numbers. In the important areas: range, speed, manoeuvrability and armament, they were more than adequate for the key role they were asked to play; that of merchant killer. .P The second variant was the Type VIIB. Twenty-four boats of this type were constructed between 1937 and 1941. They were a significant improvement over the preceding Type A. .P The armament package was the same as for the earlier boats, with four bow and one stern mounted torpedo tubes. The stern tube was brought within the hull, thus allowing re-loading. The larger size of this variant enabled an increase in the number of torpedoes carried from eleven to fourteen. .P They were two metres longer than the older type, and this allowed increased fuel to be carried; thus increasing their range. .P U-47 was completed in December 1938. She was commanded by Oberleutnant Zur See Günther Prien; he was to be her only commander from the time of her commissioning until her demise in March 1941. .P Part of the 7th Unterseebootsflottille, U-47 was one of the fourteen U-boats that sailed for the North Atlantic in mid-August 1939 in order to take up station there pending the possible outbreak of war. .P When war came on the 3rd September, U-47 was patrolling west of the Bay of Biscay and Prien was to quickly make his presence felt. Starting on the 5th September, U-47 sank three British merchant vessels, totalling just over 8,000 tons, before returning to Germany in mid-September. .P U-47's next patrol would turn Günther Prien into a national hero. Leaving Kiel on the 8th October, his target was the Royal Navy's main fleet anchorage at Scapa Flow. German submarines had tried to infiltrate Scapa Flow during World War I, but without success, and two boats had been lost in the process. However, aerial reconnaissance had confirmed to the Germans that there were gaps in the British defences there that could be exploited. Commodore Dönitz picked Prien for the mission and asked him to formulate a plan of attack. The name given to this audacious raid was Operation P. .P On the night of the 13th/14th October Prien skilfully navigated U-47 through Kirk Sound over the course of six hours. At one point the U-boat got caught on a cable from one of the block ships, but U-47 managed to break free. Once Prien was inside the main anchorage however, he was horrified to see barely any targets; the Home Fleet was not there. Finally he managed to make out the silhouette of a capital ship and he prepared to attack. .P Prien had come across the old battleship HMS Royal Oak. He fired two salvoes, the first made little impact; the second was devastating. Three torpedoes holed the battleship amidships and she sank within ten minutes in 100 feet of water. 833 men were killed in the attack. But with no further targets available, Prien had no choice but to set sail for home. .P The attack could have been so much more successful had the rest of the Home Fleet not been absent, but even so, the loss of a battleship so close to home was a major embarrassment to the Royal Navy and Prien returned home a hero to receive the Iron Cross 1st Class and the Knights Cross. .P U-47 put to sea again on the 16th November for her 3rd patrol. Like her first, this patrol netted another three merchant victims, although on this occasion, U-47 found herself under attack for the first time. The depth charge attack was beaten off and U-47 returned to Germany in mid-December. .P U-47 underwent a refit and her next patrol was not until March 1940. She was ordered to patrol off the north coast of Scotland in order to try and intercept Royal Navy warships, and she was to sink just one small freighter on this patrol. .P During April U-47 was ordered to support the invasion of Norway. This campaign proved a huge disappointment for the U-boats. Problems with their torpedoes meant that time and again British warships and troop carriers sailed away from potentially fatal attacks, and U-47 suffered her share of torpedo failures, including one during an attack on the battleship HMS Warspite. .P In June U-47 was back in the Atlantic and eight merchant ships were sunk between the 14th June and the 2nd July. This haul included the 15,000 ton Arandora Star which, unbeknown to Prien, was carrying German and Italian Prisoners of War; over 700 of which were lost in the attack. .P Now operating from Lorient on the west coast of France, September was to prove almost as successful as Prien continued to add to his tally of Allied ships sunk. In that month another seven merchants were sent to the bottom of the sea, totalling over 40,000 tons. .P There was to be no let up for the Allies the following month either. On her 8th patrol, operating north-west of Ireland, U-47 sank four ships and left two damaged. Prien returned to France at the end of October to receive another award from Dönitz, this time the Oak leaves to add to his Knights Cross. .P U-47's penultimate patrol began on the 6th November and resulted in just one sinking, although another three Allied merchant ships were damaged. But for Prien and U-47, time had now run out. In February 1941 he and his crew left Lorient for the last time. After previously sinking four ships and damaging one, U-47 then located convoy OB293. On the 7th March Prien attacked, and damaged, the 20,000 ton Terje Viken, but then disappeared with all hands. It is not known what caused her loss, but it is possible she was depth-charged by the destroyer HMS Wolverine. .P During an eighteen month spell, U-47 and Günther Prien sank thirty merchant ships and one battleship as well as damaging a further eight merchant vessels. The loss of Prien was a bitter pill to swallow for the U-boat arm.

_____________________________

England expects that every man will do his duty - Horatio Nelson 1805.

[4834 Submarine] .P These write-ups give a brief history of one or more vessels from each of the main classes of submarine used by the Kriegsmarine during World War II. World In Flames submarine counters represent a number of submarines rather than any specific individual boat. The dates printed on the back of the counters do not tie up in any meaningful way with build dates for the various classes of German submarine, and therefore the counter date in most cases should be ignored. .P During the First World War the submarines of the Kaiser's navy came close to starving the United Kingdom into surrender. Following Germany's defeat, their entire submarine fleet was handed over to the Allies and the German navy was forbidden to use submarines in future. .P Secretly however, the Germans continued to work on new designs - and indeed in the late twenties, German designed submarines were sold to Turkey and Finland via a "Dutch" company operating in Holland. .P Development of designs and ideas continued until, in March 1935, Adolf Hitler formally repudiated the Treaty of Versailles. Germany then openly set about re-arming their armed forces, including the Kriegsmarine. .P Shortly after this announcement, the German and British Governments signed the Anglo-German Naval Agreement. Under the terms of this treaty, the German navy was allowed to build a fleet no greater than 35% of the Royal Navy's total tonnage. Subject to this limitation, the Kriegsmarine's submarine service was allowed to equal that of the Royal Navy. .P Thus at the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, the Kriegsmarine's submarines (in German Unterseeboot or simply U-boat) numbered a mere fifty-seven boats - the same as the Royal Navy. Of these, only twenty-six were suitable for Atlantic operations. However, the Germans embarked upon a huge expansion program and during the war, well over 1,000 boats were constructed. .P There were some spectacular early successes; the sinking of the battleship Royal Oak and the aircraft carrier Courageous ranking high amongst them. Later, when U-boats were deployed in the Mediterranean, further success was achieved against the Royal Navy; the carrier Ark Royal and the battleship Barham were high profile victims to the power of the U-boat. .P But it was the outcome of the Battle of the Atlantic upon which the U-boat arm would be ultimately judged, and early in the war, successful attacks on Allied merchant shipping proved a severe problem for the British. With the conquest of Norway, and in particular, France by June 1940, the U-boats were able to operate from ports that gave much easier access to the Atlantic and extended the time the U-boats could be operational against enemy shipping. .P Winston Churchill said that the Battle of the Atlantic - and in particular the U-boat menace - was the only thing that scared him during World War II; with the serious merchant ship losses incurred from mid 1940 until early 1941 (known by the U-boat crews as the first "Happy Time") it is easy to see why. There was to be a second, albeit brief, "Happy Time" after the United States entered the war in December 1941, but by then, the tide had already begun to turn. .P Ultimately the Allies were able to beat the U-boats for a number of reasons: there was the convoy system and the sheer number of escorts that the Allies were able to field; the Allies were able to maintain the pace of technological advances to improve their ability to conduct anti-submarine warfare; conventional escort ships, such as destroyers and corvettes, were later supplemented by escort aircraft carriers that could provide a measure of air protection to a convoy; and last but not least, aircraft - which were the U-boats greatest enemy - were able to fly from the United Kingdom, Iceland and later the United States meaning that the entire convoy route could be covered by aircraft. .P By late 1942, although the U-boats were still sinking Allied shipping, the cost to the Kriegsmarine in terms of men and boats, was becoming critical. With Germany not geared up to fight a long war, the resources available to counter the Allies simply were not available and the Kriegsmarine's response to the ever growing Allied threat proved simply too little, too late. .P The U-boat service suffered more losses per head than any branch of any service of any country in World War II. Of the 40,000 men that served in U-boats during the conflict, no less than 28,000 were killed and a further 8,000 were taken prisoner. .P This write-up looks at the Type VIIB U-boats, and in particular the U-47. .B .B Name: U-47 .B Engine(s) output: 2 x 1400 bhp (Surfaced) 2 x 375 shp (Submerged) .B Top Speed: 17.2 knots (Surfaced), 8 knots (Submerged) .B Main armament: 5 x 21-inch torpedo tubes and 1 x 3.5-inch (88mm) gun .B Displacement (Fully Submerged): 857 tons .B Diving Depth: 720 ft .P The Type VII U-boat became the backbone of the U-boat fleet in World War II. A total of 709 boats were built, spread over seven variants. These boats were real all-rounders; they were not necessarily the biggest, fastest or the most powerfully armed boats, but the package proved a formidable weapon. They were capable of being built relatively quickly, cheaply and in large numbers. In the important areas: range, speed, manoeuvrability and armament, they were more than adequate for the key role they were asked to play; that of merchant killer. .P The second variant was the Type VIIB. Twenty-four boats of this type were constructed between 1937 and 1941. They were a significant improvement over the preceding Type A. .P The armament package was the same as for the earlier boats, with four bow and one stern mounted torpedo tubes. The stern tube was brought within the hull, thus allowing re-loading. The larger size of this variant enabled an increase in the number of torpedoes carried from eleven to fourteen. .P They were two metres longer than the older type, and this allowed increased fuel to be carried; thus increasing their range. .P Completed in December 1938 U-47 was commanded by Oberleutnant Zur See Günther Prien her only commander from the time of her commissioning until her demise in March 1941. .P Part of the 7th Unterseebootsflottille, U-47 was one of the fourteen U-boats that sailed for the North Atlantic in mid-August 1939 in order to take up station there pending the possible outbreak of war. .P When war came on the 3rd September, U-47 was patrolling west of the Bay of Biscay and Prien was to quickly make his presence felt. Starting on the 5th September, U-47 sank three British merchant vessels, totalling just over 8,000 tons, before returning to Germany in mid-September. .P U-47's next patrol would turn Günther Prien into a national hero. Leaving Kiel on the 8th October, his target was the Royal Navy's main fleet anchorage at Scapa Flow. German submarines had tried to infiltrate Scapa Flow during World War I, but without success, and two boats had been lost in the process. However, aerial reconnaissance had confirmed to the Germans that there were gaps in the British defences there that could be exploited. Commodore Dönitz picked Prien for the mission and asked him to formulate a plan of attack. The name given to this audacious raid was Operation P. .P On the night of the 13th/14th October Prien skilfully navigated U-47 through Kirk Sound over the course of six hours. At one point the U-boat got caught on a cable from one of the block ships, but U-47 managed to break free. Once Prien was inside the main anchorage however, he was horrified to see barely any targets; the Home Fleet was not there. Finally he managed to make out the silhouette of a capital ship and he prepared to attack. .P Prien had come across the old battleship HMS Royal Oak. He fired two salvoes, the first made little impact; the second was devastating. Three torpedoes holed the battleship amidships and she sank within ten minutes in 100 feet of water. 833 men were killed in the attack. But with no further targets available, Prien had no choice but to set sail for home. .P The attack could have been so much more successful had the rest of the Home Fleet not been absent, but even so, the loss of a battleship so close to home was a major embarrassment to the Royal Navy and Prien returned home a hero to receive the Iron Cross 1st Class and the Knights Cross. .P U-47 put to sea again on the 16th November for her 3rd patrol. Like her first, this patrol netted another three merchant victims, although on this occasion, U-47 found herself under attack for the first time. The depth charge attack was beaten off and U-47 returned to Germany in mid-December. .P U-47 underwent a refit and her next patrol was not until March 1940. She was ordered to patrol off the north coast of Scotland in order to try and intercept Royal Navy warships, and she was to sink just one small freighter on this patrol. .P During April U-47 was ordered to support the invasion of Norway. This campaign proved a huge disappointment for the U-boats. Problems with their torpedoes meant that time and again British warships and troop carriers sailed away from potentially fatal attacks, and U-47 suffered her share of torpedo failures, including one during an attack on the battleship HMS Warspite. .P In June U-47 was back in the Atlantic and eight merchant ships were sunk between the 14th June and the 2nd July. This haul included the 15,000-ton Arandora Star that, unbeknown to Prien, was carrying German and Italian Prisoners of War; over 700 of which were lost in the attack. .P Now operating from Lorient on the west coast of France, September was to prove almost as successful as Prien continued to add to his tally of Allied ships sunk. In that month another seven merchants were sent to the bottom of the sea, totalling over 40,000 tons. .P There was to be no let up for the Allies the following month either. On her 8th patrol, operating northwest of Ireland, U-47 sank four ships and left two damaged. Prien returned to France at the end of October to receive another award from Dönitz, this time the Oak leaves to add to his Knights Cross. .P U-47's penultimate patrol began on the 6th November and resulted in just one sinking, although another three Allied merchant ships were damaged. But for Prien and U-47, time had now run out. In February 1941 he and his crew left Lorient for the last time. After previously sinking four ships and damaging one, U-47 then located convoy OB293. On the 7th March Prien attacked, and damaged, the 20,000- ton Terje Viken, but then disappeared with all hands. It is not known what caused her loss, but it is possible she was depth-charged by the destroyer HMS Wolverine. .P During an eighteen month spell, U-47 and Günther Prien sank thirty merchant ships and one battleship as well as damaging a further eight merchant vessels. The loss of Prien was a bitter pill to swallow for the U-boat arm.

_____________________________

University of Science Music and Culture (USMC) class of 71 and 72 ~ Extraneous (AKA Mziln)

[4894 Richelieu - by Robert Jenkins] .B Engine(s) output: 150,000 hp .B Top Speed: 32 knots .B Main armament: 8 x 15-inch (380mm), 9 x 6-inch (152mm) guns .B Displacement (full load): 49,850 tons .B Thickest armour: 13.5-inch (belt) .P The Richelieus were a class of four battleships planned for the Marine Nationale (MN) prior to World War II. Two ships - Richelieu and Jean Bart - were authorised in 1935, and a second pair - Clémenceau and Gascogne - followed three years later. .P By the mid-thirties the MN was in danger of being left behind; France's only modern capital ships were the two, 13-inch gunned, Dunkerque-class battleships, and when, in 1934, the Italians laid down two fast battleships of the Littorio- class, the French realised they had to act. .P The Richelieus were logical extensions of the successful Dunkerque-class, with their main armament mounted forward. Two quadruple turrets housed eight 15-inch guns and, like the Dunkerques, these turrets were spaced well apart to avoid one lucky hit taking out the entire main armament. Clémenceau, the third ship, was laid down in January 1939 and was to have been completed to a similar specification as the first pair, but the fourth vessel, Gascogne, was to have reverted to a more conventional layout, with one turret forward and one aft. She had not been laid down before the German invasion of France in May 1940. For their secondary armament, the Richelieus were designed with fifteen 6-inch guns to be fitted in five triple turrets. Ultimately two of these turrets were discarded, leaving a secondary battery of nine guns, all of which were mounted aft. Gascogne would have had two 6-inch turrets mounted forward and one aft. Without a dual-purpose gun available, anti-aircraft (AA) armament was provided separately to the secondary guns. The AA package was sensible for the time, with twelve 3.9-inch guns mounted in six twin turrets and for close-range AA defence, eight 37mm and sixteen 13.2mm guns were fitted. The AA weaponry on Richelieu was considerably strengthened after she was sent to the United States for a refit in 1943. Up to three aircraft could be carried. .P The armament arrangement allowed considerable weight savings which meant that the Richelieus armour protection was generous. This protection was designed to withstand 15-inch shells, and the Richelieus compared favourably with the Italian Littorios. .P The Richelieus were fast battleships, and their top speed of 32 knots was comparable with their Italian and German contemporaries. .P The first three ships were named after famous Frenchmen: Richelieu was named in honour of Cardinal Richelieu, the 17th century statesman; Jean Bart was a 17th century naval hero; Georges Clémenceau was twice Prime Minister of France; whilst the fourth ship would have been named after the historic French province of Gascony. .P Richelieu's construction was badly behind schedule when she was launched in January 1939. She was the largest ship built for the MN at that time and she was built and launched minus forty-three metres of bow and eight metres of stern, which were constructed separately and attached after launching. Richelieu was at the Atlantic port of Brest, being fitted out, when the Germans launched their invasion in the west on the 10th May 1940. .P Richelieu was not fully complete when, six weeks later, and with the Germans about to overrun the French Atlantic ports, she was ordered to sail. With the French government looking for an exit from the war, and knowing that they had an important bargaining chip in the form of the MN, the original decision to sail for Britain was changed and Richelieu was ordered to head instead for the port of Dakar in West Africa. .P Having survived an attack by German bombers, Richelieu reached Dakar on the 23rd June. However two days later, with France having signed an armistice with the Germans, her captain ordered her to sail north to Casablanca; he feared that British Royal Navy forces nearby would try and capture or sink the battleship. .P The commander of the MN, Admiral Darlan, was unaware of the true situation and over-ruled this order, fearing that Richelieu was about to surrender to the British! By 28th June Richelieu was back at Dakar. .P Fearing the French fleet would fall into German hands after the signing of the armistice, the British gave the French an ultimatum. French ships in British and Egyptian port were seized (see Paris and Submarine Counter 4937) while the ships at Mers-El-Kebir in Algeria were attacked on the 3rd July, after the French refused any of the options given to them by the British (see Bretagne). .P As for Richelieu, she became the target for attack on the 8th July. The day before, the British had presented the French with the same options as had been delivered at Mers-El-Kebir; once again these options were flatly refused. However, the British had only the old aircraft carrier Hermes and the heavy cruiser Dorsetshire available to try and put the battleship out of action, and so an air strike was their only option. .P While at anchor just outside the port, Richelieu's captain had placed his battleship behind a screen of merchant ships. Despite being desperately short of ammunition, but aware that the British naval forces waiting off Dakar were so light, the French plan was to sail at first light on the morning of the 8th and try and sink Hermes before her aircraft could attack Richelieu. .P Unfortunately for the French, six British Swordfish aircraft arrived at the port before the battleship could get underway. Five of the torpedoes launched missed, but one struck home on her starboard side. Although Richelieu remained afloat, severe damage was incurred, and she sailed for port where temporary work could be carried out to patch her up. Without specialist equipment at Dakar, and with no possibility of reaching France, Richelieu was effectively imprisoned in West Africa, where she was used as a floating gun battery when the next attack came. .P That next attack followed in September. Operation Menace was an Anglo- Free French expedition designed to seize control of French West Africa from the Vichy authorities. The Allied venture ended in defeat and Richelieu played a large part in thwarting the Allied plans. However, further damage was inflicted on her - both by shells from the Royal Navy, and self-inflicted wounds caused by serious failures on three of her main guns - during the three-day battle (see Georges Leygues). .P Follwing Menace, Richelieu was left alone by the Allies. In November 1942 the Allies landed in French North Africa (see Jean Bart) and the Germans walked into Metropolitan Vichy France (see Strasbourg). As a result, all Vichy territories became pro-Allied and certain French ships sailed for American ports for modernisation and repairs; Richelieu among them. She arrived in the United States in February 1943 and her refit took until August to complete. At completion, Richelieu had lost her aircraft handling facilities and the space created was crammed with AA weaponry. .P After work-up, from November 1943 Richelieu was attached to the Royal Navy's Home Fleet based at Scapa Flow. However, there was a shortage of operations at that time for Richelieu to be deployed on. She took part only in Operation Bayleaf, a carrier attack on German shipping off Norway, in February 1944. This operation proved limited in its results and a follow-up operation was cancelled a few days later due to poor weather. .P The following month it was decided to transfer Richelieu to the Far East in order to bolster the British Eastern Fleet. She arrived at Trincomalee, Ceylon, on the 10th March. While operating with the Eastern Fleet Richelieu took part in four operations in the Indian Ocean as the Royal Navy by now had sufficient resources to start taking the war back to the Japanese. The United States Navy lent the carrier USS Saratoga to the Eastern Fleet and together the following diversionary operations, designed to assist American operations in the Pacific, were carried out: .B .B Operation Cockpit - April 1944 - an attack against Sabang, Sumatra .B Operation Transom - May 1944 - an attack against Soerbaya, Java .P With British carriers in place, Saratoga departed and the following operations were launched: .B Operation Pedal - June 1944 - an attack against the Andaman Islands .B Operation Crimson - July 1944 - another attack against Sabang. .B .P Following these operations, Richelieu left the Eastern Fleet and sailed for Casablanca where she underwent a much needed refit. She returned to the Far East in March 1945 and re-joined the fleet - by now re-named the East Indies Fleet. .P Richelieu was involved in Just three more operations in the Indian Ocean before she was sent to South Africa for further refitting: .B .B Operation Sunfish - April 1945 - attacks against Sabang and Padang, Sumatra .B Operation Bishop - April/May 1945 - attacks against the Andaman and Nicobar Islands .B Operation Dukedom - May 1945 - attack on the Japanese cruiser Haguro (note: Richelieu was not involved in the actual sinking) .B .P By the time she returned to the Indian Ocean the war was over. .P Following the Japanese surrender in August 1945 Richelieu remained for a time in the Far East in order to assist mopping up operations and the protection of French interests in that region. .P Richelieu was scrapped in 1968.

_____________________________

England expects that every man will do his duty - Horatio Nelson 1805.

[4894 Richelieu - by Robert Jenkins] .B Engine(s) output: 150,000 hp .B Top Speed: 32 knots .B Main armament: 8 x 15-inch (380mm), 9 x 6-inch (152mm) guns .B Displacement (full load): 49,850 tons .B Thickest armour: 13.5-inch (belt) .P The Richelieus were a class of four battleships planned for the Marine Nationale (MN) prior to World War II. Two ships - Richelieu and Jean Bart - were authorised in 1935, and a second pair - Clémenceau and Gascogne - followed three years later. .P By the mid-thirties the MN was in danger of being left behind; France's only modern capital ships were the two, 13-inch gunned, Dunkerque-class battleships, and when, in 1934, the Italians laid down two fast battleships of the Littorio- class, the French realised they had to act. .P The Richelieus were logical extensions of the successful Dunkerque-class, with their main armament mounted forward. Two quadruple turrets housed eight 15-inch guns and, like the Dunkerques, these turrets were spaced well apart to avoid one lucky hit taking out the entire main armament. Clémenceau, the third ship, was laid down in January 1939 and was to have been completed to a similar specification as the first pair, but the fourth vessel, Gascogne, was to have reverted to a more conventional layout, with one turret forward and one aft. She had not been laid down before the German invasion of France in May 1940. For their secondary armament, the Richelieus were designed with fifteen 6-inch guns to be fitted in five triple turrets. Ultimately two of these turrets were discarded, leaving a secondary battery of nine guns, all of which were mounted aft. Gascogne would have had two 6-inch turrets mounted forward and one aft. Without a dual-purpose gun available, anti-aircraft (AA) armament was provided separately to the secondary guns. The AA package was sensible for the time, with twelve 3.9-inch guns mounted in six twin turrets and for close-range AA defence, eight 37mm and sixteen 13.2mm guns were fitted. The AA weaponry on Richelieu was considerably strengthened after she was sent to the United States for a refit in 1943. Up to three aircraft could be carried. .P The armament arrangement allowed considerable weight savings which meant that the Richelieus armour protection was generous. This protection was designed to withstand 15-inch shells, and the Richelieus compared favourably with the Italian Littorios. .P The Richelieus were fast battleships, and their top speed of 32 knots was comparable with their Italian and German contemporaries. .P The first three ships were named after famous Frenchmen: Richelieu was named in honour of Cardinal Richelieu, the 17th century statesman; Jean Bart was a 17th century naval hero; Georges Clémenceau was twice Prime Minister of France; whilst the fourth ship would have been named after the historic French province of Gascony. .P Richelieu's construction was badly behind schedule when she was launched in January 1939. She was the largest ship built for the MN at that time and she was built and launched minus forty-three metres of bow and eight metres of stern, which were constructed separately and attached after launching. Richelieu was at the Atlantic port of Brest, being fitted out, when the Germans launched their invasion in the west on the 10th May 1940. .P Richelieu was not fully complete when, six weeks later, and with the Germans about to overrun the French Atlantic ports, she was ordered to sail. With the French government looking for an exit from the war, and knowing that they had an important bargaining chip in the form of the MN, the original decision to sail for Britain was changed and Richelieu was ordered to head instead for the port of Dakar in West Africa. .P Having survived an attack by German bombers, Richelieu reached Dakar on the 23rd June. However two days later, with France having signed an armistice with the Germans, her captain ordered her to sail north to Casablanca; he feared that British Royal Navy forces nearby would try and capture or sink the battleship. .P The commander of the MN, Admiral Darlan, was unaware of the true situation and over-ruled this order, fearing that Richelieu was about to surrender to the British! By 28th June Richelieu was back at Dakar. .P Fearing the French fleet would fall into German hands after the signing of the armistice, the British gave the French an ultimatum. French ships in British and Egyptian port were seized (see Paris and Submarine Counter 4937) while the ships at Mers-El-Kebir in Algeria were attacked on the 3rd July, after the French refused any of the options given to them by the British (see Bretagne). .P As for Richelieu, she became the target for attack on the 8th July. The day before, the British had presented the French with the same options as had been delivered at Mers-El-Kebir; once again these options were flatly refused. However, the British had only the old aircraft carrier Hermes and the heavy cruiser Dorsetshire available to try and put the battleship out of action, and so an air strike was their only option. .P While at anchor just outside the port, Richelieu's captain had placed his battleship behind a screen of merchant ships. Despite being desperately short of ammunition, but aware that the British naval forces waiting off Dakar were so light, the French plan was to sail at first light on the morning of the 8th and try and sink Hermes before her aircraft could attack Richelieu. .P Unfortunately for the French, six British Swordfish aircraft arrived at the port before the battleship could get underway. Five of the torpedoes launched missed, but one struck home on her starboard side. Although Richelieu remained afloat, severe damage was incurred, and she sailed for port where temporary work could be carried out to patch her up. Without specialist equipment at Dakar, and with no possibility of reaching France, Richelieu was effectively imprisoned in West Africa, where she was used as a floating gun battery when the next attack came. .P That next attack followed in September. Operation Menace was an Anglo- Free French expedition designed to seize control of French West Africa from the Vichy authorities. The Allied venture ended in defeat and Richelieu played a large part in thwarting the Allied plans. However, further damage was inflicted on her - both by shells from the Royal Navy, and self-inflicted wounds caused by serious failures on three of her main guns - during the three-day battle (see Georges Leygues). .P Follwing Menace, Richelieu was left alone by the Allies. In November 1942 the Allies landed in French North Africa (see Jean Bart) and the Germans walked into Metropolitan Vichy France (see Strasbourg). As a result, all Vichy territories became pro-Allied and certain French ships sailed for American ports for modernisation and repairs; Richelieu among them. She arrived in the United States in February 1943 and her refit took until August to complete. At completion, Richelieu had lost her aircraft handling facilities and the space created was crammed with AA weaponry. .P After work-up, from November 1943 Richelieu was attached to the Royal Navy's Home Fleet based at Scapa Flow. However, there was a shortage of operations at that time for Richelieu to be deployed on. She took part only in Operation Bayleaf, a carrier attack on German shipping off Norway, in February 1944. This operation proved limited in its results and a follow-up operation was cancelled a few days later due to poor weather. .P The following month it was decided to transfer Richelieu to the Far East in order to bolster the British Eastern Fleet. She arrived at Trincomalee, Ceylon, on the 10th March. While operating with the Eastern Fleet Richelieu took part in four operations in the Indian Ocean as the Royal Navy by now had sufficient resources to start taking the war back to the Japanese. The United States Navy lent the carrier USS Saratoga to the Eastern Fleet and together the following diversionary operations, designed to assist American operations in the Pacific, were carried out: .B .B Operation Cockpit - April 1944 - an attack against Sabang, Sumatra .B Operation Transom - May 1944 - an attack against Soerbaya, Java .P With British carriers in place, Saratoga departed and the following operations were launched: .B Operation Pedal - June 1944 - an attack against the Andaman Islands .B Operation Crimson - July 1944 - another attack against Sabang. .B .P Following these operations, Richelieu left the Eastern Fleet and sailed for Casablanca where she underwent a much needed refit. She returned to the Far East in March 1945 and re-joined the fleet - by now re-named the East Indies Fleet. .P Richelieu was involved in Just three more operations in the Indian Ocean before she was sent to South Africa for further refitting: .B .B Operation Sunfish - April 1945 - attacks against Sabang and Padang, Sumatra .B Operation Bishop - April/May 1945 - attacks against the Andaman and Nicobar Islands .B Operation Dukedom - May 1945 - attack on the Japanese cruiser Haguro (note: Richelieu was not involved in the actual sinking) .B .P By the time she returned to the Indian Ocean the war was over. .P Following the Japanese surrender in August 1945 Richelieu remained for a time in the Far East in order to assist mopping up operations and the protection of French interests in that region. .P Richelieu was scrapped in 1968.

No changes

_____________________________

University of Science Music and Culture (USMC) class of 71 and 72 ~ Extraneous (AKA Mziln)

[4894 Richelieu - by Robert Jenkins] .B Engine(s) output: 150,000 hp .B Top Speed: 32 knots .B Main armament: 8 x 15-inch (380mm), 9 x 6-inch (152mm) guns .B Displacement (full load): 49,850 tons .B Thickest armour: 13.5-inch (belt) .P The Richelieus were a class of four battleships planned for the Marine Nationale (MN) prior to World War II. Two ships - Richelieu and Jean Bart - were authorised in 1935, and a second pair - Clémenceau and Gascogne - followed three years later. .P By the mid-thirties the MN was in danger of being left behind; France's only modern capital ships were the two, 13-inch gunned, Dunkerque-class battleships, and when, in 1934, the Italians laid down two fast battleships of the Littorio- class, the French realised they had to act. .P The Richelieus were logical extensions of the successful Dunkerque-class, with their main armament mounted forward. Two quadruple turrets housed eight 15-inch guns and, like the Dunkerques, these turrets were spaced well apart to avoid one lucky hit taking out the entire main armament. Clémenceau, the third ship, was laid down in January 1939 and was to have been completed to a similar specification as the first pair, but the fourth vessel, Gascogne, was to have reverted to a more conventional layout, with one turret forward and one aft. She had not been laid down before the German invasion of France in May 1940. For their secondary armament, the Richelieus were designed with fifteen 6-inch guns to be fitted in five triple turrets. Ultimately two of these turrets were discarded, leaving a secondary battery of nine guns, all of which were mounted aft. Gascogne would have had two 6-inch turrets mounted forward and one aft. Without a dual-purpose gun available, anti-aircraft (AA) armament was provided separately to the secondary guns. The AA package was sensible for the time, with twelve 3.9-inch guns mounted in six twin turrets and for close-range AA defence, eight 37mm and sixteen 13.2mm guns were fitted. The AA weaponry on Richelieu was considerably strengthened after she was sent to the United States for a refit in 1943. Up to three aircraft could be carried. .P The armament arrangement allowed considerable weight savings which meant that the Richelieus armour protection was generous. This protection was designed to withstand 15-inch shells, and the Richelieus compared favourably with the Italian Littorios. .P The Richelieus were fast battleships, and their top speed of 32 knots was comparable with their Italian and German contemporaries. .P The first three ships were named after famous Frenchmen: Richelieu was named in honour of Cardinal Richelieu, the 17th century statesman; Jean Bart was a 17th century naval hero; Georges Clémenceau was twice Prime Minister of France; whilst the fourth ship would have been named after the historic French province of Gascony. .P Richelieu's construction was badly behind schedule when she was launched in January 1939. She was the largest ship built for the MN at that time and she was built and launched minus forty-three metres of bow and eight metres of stern, which were constructed separately and attached after launching. Richelieu was at the Atlantic port of Brest, being fitted out, when the Germans launched their invasion in the west on the 10th May 1940. .P Richelieu was not fully complete when, six weeks later, and with the Germans about to overrun the French Atlantic ports, she was ordered to sail. With the French government looking for an exit from the war, and knowing that they had an important bargaining chip in the form of the MN, the original decision to sail for Britain was changed and Richelieu was ordered to head instead for the port of Dakar in West Africa. .P Having survived an attack by German bombers, Richelieu reached Dakar on the 23rd June. However two days later, with France having signed an armistice with the Germans, her captain ordered her to sail north to Casablanca; he feared that British Royal Navy forces nearby would try and capture or sink the battleship. .P The commander of the MN, Admiral Darlan, was unaware of the true situation and over-ruled this order, fearing that Richelieu was about to surrender to the British! By 28th June Richelieu was back at Dakar. .P Fearing the French fleet would fall into German hands after the signing of the armistice, the British gave the French an ultimatum. French ships in British and Egyptian port were seized (see Paris and Submarine Counter 4937) while the ships at Mers-El-Kebir in Algeria were attacked on the 3rd July, after the French refused any of the options given to them by the British (see Bretagne). .P As for Richelieu, she became the target for attack on the 8th July. The day before, the British had presented the French with the same options as had been delivered at Mers-El-Kebir; once again these options were flatly refused. However, the British had only the old aircraft carrier Hermes and the heavy cruiser Dorsetshire available to try and put the battleship out of action, and so an air strike was their only option. .P While at anchor just outside the port, Richelieu's captain had placed his battleship behind a screen of merchant ships. Despite being desperately short of ammunition, but aware that the British naval forces waiting off Dakar were so light, the French plan was to sail at first light on the morning of the 8th and try and sink Hermes before her aircraft could attack Richelieu. .P Unfortunately for the French, six British Swordfish aircraft arrived at the port before the battleship could get underway. Five of the torpedoes launched missed, but one struck home on her starboard side. Although Richelieu remained afloat, severe damage was incurred, and she sailed for port where temporary work could be carried out to patch her up. Without specialist equipment at Dakar, and with no possibility of reaching France, Richelieu was effectively imprisoned in West Africa, where she was used as a floating gun battery when the next attack came. .P That next attack followed in September. Operation Menace was an Anglo- Free French expedition designed to seize control of French West Africa from the Vichy authorities. The Allied venture ended in defeat and Richelieu played a large part in thwarting the Allied plans. However, further damage was inflicted on her - both by shells from the Royal Navy, and self-inflicted wounds caused by serious failures on three of her main guns - during the three-day battle (see Georges Leygues). .P Follwing Menace, Richelieu was left alone by the Allies. In November 1942 the Allies landed in French North Africa (see Jean Bart) and the Germans walked into Metropolitan Vichy France (see Strasbourg). As a result, all Vichy territories became pro-Allied and certain French ships sailed for American ports for modernisation and repairs; Richelieu among them. She arrived in the United States in February 1943 and her refit took until August to complete. At completion, Richelieu had lost her aircraft handling facilities and the space created was crammed with AA weaponry. .P After work-up, from November 1943 Richelieu was attached to the Royal Navy's Home Fleet based at Scapa Flow. However, there was a shortage of operations at that time for Richelieu to be deployed on. She took part only in Operation Bayleaf, a carrier attack on German shipping off Norway, in February 1944. This operation proved limited in its results and a follow-up operation was cancelled a few days later due to poor weather. .P The following month it was decided to transfer Richelieu to the Far East in order to bolster the British Eastern Fleet. She arrived at Trincomalee, Ceylon, on the 10th March. While operating with the Eastern Fleet Richelieu took part in four operations in the Indian Ocean as the Royal Navy by now had sufficient resources to start taking the war back to the Japanese. The United States Navy lent the carrier USS Saratoga to the Eastern Fleet and together the following diversionary operations, designed to assist American operations in the Pacific, were carried out: .B .B Operation Cockpit - April 1944 - an attack against Sabang, Sumatra .B Operation Transom - May 1944 - an attack against Soerbaya, Java .P With British carriers in place, Saratoga departed and the following operations were launched: .B Operation Pedal - June 1944 - an attack against the Andaman Islands .B Operation Crimson - July 1944 - another attack against Sabang. .B .P Following these operations, Richelieu left the Eastern Fleet and sailed for Casablanca where she underwent a much needed refit. She returned to the Far East in March 1945 and re-joined the fleet - by now re-named the East Indies Fleet. .P Richelieu was involved in Just three more operations in the Indian Ocean before she was sent to South Africa for further refitting: .B .B Operation Sunfish - April 1945 - attacks against Sabang and Padang, Sumatra .B Operation Bishop - April/May 1945 - attacks against the Andaman and Nicobar Islands .B Operation Dukedom - May 1945 - attack on the Japanese cruiser Haguro (note: Richelieu was not involved in the actual sinking) .B .P By the time she returned to the Indian Ocean the war was over. .P Following the Japanese surrender in August 1945 Richelieu remained for a time in the Far East in order to assist mopping up operations and the protection of French interests in that region. .P Richelieu was scrapped in 1968.

No changes

Warspite1

YESSSSSS!!!!!

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England expects that every man will do his duty - Horatio Nelson 1805.

I'm having a blitz on the French at the moment; please see an example light cruiser:

[4919 Montcalm] .B Engine(s) output: 84,000 hp .B Top Speed: 31 knots .B Main armament: 9 x 6-inch (152mm), 8 x 3.5-inch (90mm) guns .B Displacement (full load): 9,100 tons .B Thickest armour: 4-inch (belt) .P The La Galissonnières were a class of six light cruisers that were built for the Marine Nationale (MN) between 1931 and 1937. They were developed from the single-ship Emile Bertin-class and, like many ships of the MN built in the thirties, they were a successful attempt to equip the MN with a modern, effective fighting force following years of serious under-funding. .P The main armament used a 6-inch gun that was first fitted to Emile Bertin and nine of these were mounted within three triple turrets. Anti-aircraft (AA) defence was provided by eight 3.5-inch guns fitted in twin turrets, and supported by eight 37mm and twelve 13.2mm guns for close-range defence. Two double torpedo tubes were fitted. Up to four aircraft could be operated. .P As with the heavy cruiser Algérie, that was laid down just before La Galissonnière, these ships benefitted from the first attempt by the MN to build a sensible level of armour protection into their light cruiser designs. Vertical protection was provided by belt armour of 4-inches, while their main deck was given an armoured deck 1.5-inches thick. .P A couple of knots in top speed was sacrificed to allow for the increased protection, but these ships could still comfortably reach 31 knots. .P These cruisers were named after the following: Roland-Michel Barrin de La Galissonnière, an 18th century naval commander famous for winning the Battle of Minorca; Louis-Joseph de Montcalm was the commander of French forces in North America during the Seven Years War; Georges Leygues was a politician and former Minister of Marine; Jean de Vienne was an admiral during the Hundred Years War; La Marseillaise is the national anthem of France; and last but not least, Gloire is French for Glory and has been a popular name in the MN since the late 18th century. .P Montcalm was completed in December 1937 and at the outbreak of the Second World War she was part of the 4th Division de croiseurs along with her sisters Gloire and Georges Leygues. The 4th Division were based at the port of Brest and were part of the Escadre D'Atlantique. .P Just after the outbreak of war, the MN formed the Force de Raid. This force, commanded by amiral Gensoul, consisted of fast and modern ships that were used for countering German surface raiders. .P In October, the Force de Raid was split into two as part of a reorganisation of forces by the British and French navies. With at least two Kriegsmarine surface raiders on the loose in the North and South Atlantic, the Allies formed eight hunting groups to track them down. Montcalm was part of Force L, and she remained at Brest with the fast battleship Dunkerque and her two sisters. .P At the end of that month Force L sortied to escort an important convoy, KJ.3, in view of the threat posed by the German ships. Then, a month later, the ships of Force L were ordered to sail for Iceland. This was in response to the sinking of the British armed merchant cruiser Rawalpindi by the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. This proved to be a wild goose chase as the German ships returned to port after the sinking; the German commander correctly surmising that the Rawalpindi's sinking would have alerted every available Allied ship. .P For the rest of the year and into early 1940, life for the Force de Raid was pretty routine. However, in late April, Montcalm was ordered to replace the cruiser Emile Bertin off Norway. The ill-fated Allied campaign to assist Norway, following the German invasion earlier that month, quickly started to unravel, and Montcalm arrived in time to assist the evacuation of Allied troops from Namsos at the beginning of May. Although she came under air attack, she was not damaged during this operation (see Transport Counter (4931). .P With Italy entering the war on the 10th June 1940, the Force de Raid was sent to Mers-el-Kebir, the naval base in the French colony of Algeria. Here she was re-united with her three other sisters, La Galissonnière, Jean de Vienne and Marseillaise. The French fleet were almost immediately deployed in response to an erroneous report that Axis ships were trying to venture through the Straits of Gibraltar. On the return journey, the fleet came under attack from Italian submarines, though without any success. .P At the start of the following month the British carried out their attack on the French fleet at Mers-el-Kebir (see Bretagne). However the light cruisers of the 3rd and 4th divisions were at Algiers at this time and were not attacked. They were able to rendezvous with the battleship Strasbourg that had escaped from the British attack, and together, they sailed for Toulon in Southern France. .P In September 1940, the Vichy authorities were concerned that the African colony of Gabon was going to switch allegiance to the Free French. The three cruisers of the 4th Division were sent to restore order, accompanied by three destroyers (see Transport Counter 4933). However, this operation coincided with Free French and British efforts to capture the Vichy port of Dakar in West Africa. The cruisers were unable to provide any assistance to the Vichy government at Gabon (see Submarine Counter 4938) before being intercepted by a British cruiser force; Montcalm and Georges Leygues were able to return to Dakar, but Gloire suffered mechanical problems and was escorted by a British cruiser to Casablanca. .P Between the 23rd and 25th September, the Anglo-Free French attack on Dakar took place. Montcalm and Georges Leygues played their part in ensuring that this operation was to be a costly failure for the Allies (see ASW Escort Counter 4920). Montcalm received slight damage during the fighting. .P Following this episode, Montcalm was largely inactive until the Allies launched Operation Torch in November 1942. Torch was the invasion of French North Africa and in the same month the Germans occupied Metropolitan Vichy France. Vichy territories subsequently declared for the Allies and selected naval vessels were sent to the United States for refitting and repair before entering service with the Forces Navales Françaises Libres (FNFL). .P Montcalm was one of the vessels chosen and she sailed for the United States in February 1943. She had her aircraft facilities removed and was fitted with new AA weaponry. .P Upon entering service with the FNFL, Montcalm was initially sent to the Mediterranean, and in September she assisted the successful invasion of Corsica that was carried out by troops of the French 1st Corps. .P Following this, Montcalm was re-united with her sister ship Georges Leygues and, together with the Italian cruiser Duca degli Abruzzi, these three cruisers formed one of the two forces that were then sent to the South Atlantic to search for Axis blockade runners. .P Then, in June, Montcalm took part in Operation Neptune, the naval component of the D-Day landings against the beaches of Normandy (see Amphibious Counter 4927). For this operation Montcalm was allocated to the Western Task Force and she assisted the landings at Omaha beach. .P The following August Montcalm was ordered to the Mediterranean, where she was to remain for the rest of the war. She took part in Operation Dragoon that month. Dragoon was the invasion of Southern France, and Montcalm provided naval gunfire support during the operation and in the following weeks (see Amphibious Counter 4928). .P Montcalm then moved east and provided support for Allied troops in Italy, with her final operation, the shelling of German positions along the Italian Riveira, taking place at the end of April. .P Montcalm was scrapped in 1969.

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England expects that every man will do his duty - Horatio Nelson 1805.

[4919 Montcalm] .B Engine(s) output: 84,000 hp .B Top Speed: 31 knots .B Main armament: 9 x 6-inch (152mm), 8 x 3.5-inch (90mm) guns .B Displacement (full load): 9,100 tons .B Thickest armour: 4-inch (belt) .P The La Galissonnières were a class of six light cruisers that were built for the Marine Nationale (MN) between 1931 and 1937. They were developed from the single-ship Emile Bertin-class and, like many ships of the MN built in the thirties, they were a successful attempt to equip the MN with a modern, effective fighting force following years of serious under-funding. .P The main armament used a 6-inch gun that was first fitted to Emile Bertin and nine of these were mounted within three triple turrets. Anti-aircraft (AA) defence was provided by eight 3.5-inch guns fitted in twin turrets, and supported by eight 37mm and twelve 13.2mm guns for close-range defence. Two double torpedo tubes were fitted. Up to four aircraft could be operated. .P As with the heavy cruiser Algérie, that was laid down just before La Galissonnière, these ships benefitted from the first attempt by the MN to build a sensible level of armour protection into their light cruiser designs. Vertical protection was provided by belt armour of 4-inches, while their main deck was given an armoured deck 1.5-inches thick. .P A couple of knots in top speed was sacrificed to allow for the increased protection, but these ships could still comfortably reach 31 knots. .P These cruisers were named after the following: Roland-Michel Barrin de La Galissonnière, an 18th century naval commander famous for winning the Battle of Minorca; Louis-Joseph de Montcalm was the commander of French forces in North America during the Seven Years War; Georges Leygues was a politician and former Minister of Marine; Jean de Vienne was an admiral during the Hundred Years War; La Marseillaise is the national anthem of France; and last but not least, Gloire is French for Glory and has been a popular name in the MN since the late 18th century. .P Montcalm was completed in December 1937 and at the outbreak of the Second World War she was part of the 4th Division de croiseurs along with her sisters Gloire and Georges Leygues. The 4th Division was based at the port of Brest and were part of the Escadre D'Atlantique. .P Just after the outbreak of war, the MN formed the Force de Raid. This force, commanded by Amiral Gensoul, consisted of fast and modern ships that were used for countering German surface raiders. .P In October, the Force de Raid was split into two as part of a reorganisation of forces by the British and French navies. With at least two Kriegsmarine surface raiders on the loose in the North and South Atlantic, the Allies formed eight hunting groups to track them down. Montcalm was part of Force L, and she remained at Brest with the fast battleship Dunkerque and her two sisters. .P At the end of that month Force L made a sortie to escort an important convoy, KJ.3, in view of the threat posed by the German ships.

Then, a month later, the ships of Force L were ordered to sail for Iceland. This was in response to the sinking of the British armed merchant cruiser Rawalpindi by the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. This proved to be a wild goose chase as the German ships returned to port after the sinking; the German commander correctly surmising that the Rawalpindi's sinking would have alerted every available Allied ship. .P For the rest of the year and into early 1940, life for the Force de Raid was pretty routine. However, in late April, Montcalm was ordered to replace the cruiser Emile Bertin off Norway. The ill-fated Allied campaign to assist Norway, following the German invasion earlier that month, quickly started to unravel, and Montcalm arrived in time to assist the evacuation of Allied troops from Namsos at the beginning of May. Although she came under air attack, she was not damaged during this operation (see Transport Counter (4931). .P With Italy entering the war on the 10th June 1940, the Force de Raid was sent to Mers-el-Kebir, the naval base in the French colony of Algeria. Here she was re-united with her three other sisters, La Galissonnière, Jean de Vienne and Marseillaise. The French fleet was almost immediately deployed in response to an erroneous report that Axis ships were trying to venture through the Straits of Gibraltar. On the return journey, the fleet came under attack from Italian submarines, though without any success. .P At the start of the following month the British carried out their attack on the French fleet at Mers-el-Kebir (see Bretagne). However the light cruisers of the 3rd and 4th divisions were at Algiers at this time and were not attacked. They were able to rendezvous with the battleship Strasbourg that had escaped from the British attack, and together, they sailed for Toulon in Southern France. .P In September 1940, the Vichy authorities were concerned that the African colony of Gabon was going to switch allegiance to the Free French. The three cruisers of the 4th Division were sent to restore order, accompanied by three destroyers (see Transport Counter 4933). However, this operation coincided with Free French and British efforts to capture the Vichy port of Dakar in West Africa. The cruisers were unable to provide any assistance to the Vichy government at Gabon (see Submarine Counter 4938) before being intercepted by a British cruiser force; Montcalm and Georges Leygues were able to return to Dakar, but Gloire suffered mechanical problems and was escorted by a British cruiser to Casablanca. .P Between the 23rd and 25th September, the Anglo-Free French attack on Dakar took place. Montcalm and Georges Leygues played their part in ensuring that this operation was to be a costly failure for the Allies (see ASW Escort Counter 4920). Montcalm received slight damage during the fighting. .P Following this episode, Montcalm was largely inactive until the Allies launched Operation Torch in November 1942. Torch was the invasion of French North Africa and in the same month the Germans occupied Metropolitan Vichy France. Vichy territories subsequently declared for the Allies and selected naval vessels were sent to the United States for refitting and repair before entering service with the Forces Navales Françaises Libres (FNFL). .P Montcalm was one of the vessels chosen and she sailed for the United States in February 1943. She had her aircraft facilities removed and was fitted with new AA weaponry. .P Upon entering service with the FNFL, Montcalm was initially sent to the Mediterranean, and in September she assisted the successful invasion of Corsica that was carried out by troops of the French 1st Corps. .P Following this, Montcalm was re-united with her sister ship Georges Leygues and, together with the Italian cruiser Duca degli Abruzzi, these three cruisers formed one of the two forces that were then sent to the South Atlantic to search for Axis blockade runners. .P Then, in June, Montcalm took part in Operation Neptune, the naval component of the D-Day landings against the beaches of Normandy (see Amphibious Counter 4927). For this operation Montcalm was allocated to the Western Task Force and she assisted the landings at Omaha beach. .P The following August Montcalm was ordered to the Mediterranean, where she was to remain for the rest of the war. She took part in Operation Dragoon that month. Dragoon was the invasion of Southern France, and Montcalm provided naval gunfire support during the operation and in the following weeks (see Amphibious Counter 4928). .P Montcalm then moved east and provided support for Allied troops in Italy, with her final operation, the shelling of German positions along the Italian Riveira, taking place at the end of April. .P Montcalm was scrapped in 1969.

Sortie (N) (Mil.): A sudden issuing of troops from a defensive position against the enemy.

There is no such word as “sortied” or “sortieed”. I know it sounds right and have found “sortieed” used but it doesn’t exist on any dictionary.

I don't think you can suffix a noun or pronoun when it is the object of a verb.

So it’s “made a sortie”.

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University of Science Music and Culture (USMC) class of 71 and 72 ~ Extraneous (AKA Mziln)

I have tidied up the write-up for Pozerica following Extraneous' quiz question. If anyone has any details about the equipment provided to the Fighter Direction Ships I would be grateful. Would like to use Tynwald for part of the Torch story.

[4701 ASW British] .P These ASW counters are only used if playing with the Convoy In Flames optional rule. The counters do not represent any specific individual convoy or any particular ships, but are designed to represent convoy escort groups. They have mixed values reflecting the fact that the make-up of an escort group could differ from one convoy to the next. Examples of escort vessels used during the Second World War were: escort carriers, destroyers, destroyer escorts, corvettes, sloops, trawlers etc - in other words a wide variety of ship type was used in the defence of merchant vessels. .P At the start of the war the Royal Navy (RN) had too few escorts to allow it to undertake all its required duties; protecting convoys, escorting capital ships etc. Matters were made worse by heavy losses incurred off Norway and the Low Countries, but gradually, the problem was resolved. A large shipbuilding program was begun, almost from scratch, in Canada, while in the United Kingdom, priority was given to the construction of specialised escort vessels. The Lend-Lease bill passed in the United States further assisted the cause. As the war progressed, the escorts available to the navies of the Commonwealth not only grew in number, but also in effectiveness - in particular their anti-aircraft (AA) and anti- submarine (ASW) capability. .P There were two main threats to ocean-going convoys: Surface raiders and U-boats, while closer to shore, aircraft and mines were a particular menace. Unfortunately for the Kriegsmarine, the surface raiders record against Allied convoys was ultimately to prove a disappointment. In contrast to its U-boat arm, neither its warships nor its assortment of auxiliary cruisers came anywhere near causing the level of destruction they had hoped for. .P Unrestricted submarine warfare by the Germans in the First World War brought the United Kingdom to the brink of defeat. The UK survived thanks largely to the introduction of the convoy system, which provided the previously unguarded and mostly unarmed merchant vessels with warship protection. .P At the outbreak of World War II convoys were re-introduced as quickly as possible, but there had been a lack of investment in time and resources devoted to the subject of convoy defence during the inter-war years. This not only led to the shortage of specialist escort vessels, but those the RN did have were fitted with only rudimentary AA and ASW equipment. .P Fortunately for the British, the Kriegsmarine were equally, if not more unprepared, and actually started the war with only fifty-seven U-boats. Of these, just twenty-six were capable of Atlantic operations. The Germans moved quickly to rectify this deficiency via a large scale U-boat build program, and great success was achieved in the first half of the Second World War. This led Winston Churchill to later admit that the only thing that frightened him in World War II was the U-boat threat. For a time the U-boats were sinking more merchant ships than could be replaced, but in the end, the greater resources open to the Allies; more ships and better technology, ground the U-boat menace into oblivion. .P During the Second World War, the potency of aircraft as ship killers became evident. Most convoy routes came under threat from air attack at some point along their length. To reach out into the Atlantic and Arctic, the Germans employed their long range Focke-Wulf FW200 Condor aircraft that had a range of 2,212 miles (3,560km) and a 14-hour endurance. For more confined waters like the North Sea, the English Channel and the Mediterranean, the Axis forces were able to employ their shorter range aircraft in the ship killer role. Ultimately, a combination of escort carriers and stronger AA capability on board the escorts managed to neutralise this threat too. Mines were to prove a potent weapon too, and the Germans were very active in sowing minefields throughout the war. Clearing paths through these obstacles was a vital role and the minesweepers of the RN saved many a ship with their unsung work. .P Of all the Allied convoy routes, the Atlantic was the most important. The Battle of the Atlantic was to be the longest battle in World War II. Had the Allies lost, the United Kingdom could have been literally starved into defeat. It is worth remembering here that the men of the Merchant Navy suffered a higher percentage of losses compared to the British Army, RN or Royal Air Force in World War II, and these losses were mostly incurred in bringing food and supplies to the Britain. .P In addition, the movement of troops from the United States and the far flung colonies and dominions of the Commonwealth to the frontline; France, India, North Africa etc would have been much more hazardous if the Axis had control of the sea lanes. That this did not happen is down to the bravery and sacrifice of those that fought the enemy in all major sea areas of the world. These write-ups tell some of those stories. .P Note, the date on the back of these ASW and ASW Carrier counters do not relate in any meaningful way to actual build dates for the ships that took undertook the convoy escort role during World War II. The counter date should therefore be ignored. In addition, the counter mix is unbalanced in terms of origin of the escorts and those with an aircraft component. As a result there will be a degree of RN ship write-ups on Canadian counters and carrier units being used to describe non-Carrier counters. Finally, because these smaller ships do not have their own counter, some of the more important non-convoy related episodes of the war that involved these ship types, are also told within some of these write-ups. .P These counters give information on the main types of convoy escort that were available to the RN and the dominion navies. This write-up looks at two auxiliary AA Vessels, HMS Foylebank and HMS Pozarica. .P To better protect convoys that were vulnerable to air attack, during 1940-41, the Admiralty converted seven merchant ships specifically for use in an AA role. An eighth ship - the former armed merchant cruiser HMCS Prince Robert - was so converted in 1943. The eight ships were Alynbank, Foylebank, Palomares, Pozarica, Prince Robert, Springbank, Tynwald and Ulster Queen. These ships were given a relatively powerful AA capability and proved useful addition to convoy defence. Some of the ships were used extensively on the Arctic convoys to the Soviet Union. Four of these ships were lost during the war. .B .B HMS Foylebank .B Engine(s) output: ? hp .B Top Speed: 14 knots .B Main armament: 8 x 4-inch (102mm) guns and 8 x 2-pdr pompoms .B Gross Registered Tons: 5,582 tons .B Thickest Armour: n/a .P Foylebank was built for the Bank Line in 1930. She was designed for use as a general cargo vessel. However, by the end of that decade, she was to be used for a very different purpose. .P Soon after the outbreak of the Second World War, Foylebank was requisitioned by the Admiralty for conversion into an AA auxiliary. For this role she was fitted with eight high angle 4-inch guns as well as four twin 2-pdrs and ten 20mm Oerlikons. Sadly HMS Foylebank - as she was now officially titled - was to have a very short existence. .P After the defeat of France, the English Channel became a very dangerous place for merchant ships. Initially the British refused to give up using the Channel, and convoys to and from the port of London were routed through this narrow waterway rather than the much longer option of sailing via the north of Scotland. This decision put convoys at risk of both enemy aircraft and enemy torpedo boats. The fate of convoy OA178 reflects the seriousness of the situation in the summer of 1940. .P OA178 was a large convoy heading for Nova Scotia that left London on the 3rd July 1940. The next day the fourteen-ship convoy was spotted by reconaissance aircraft and the Luftwaffe ordered Stukas into the air to attack the vulnerable ships. .P After hits were recorded on at least four of the merchant vessels, the order was given to seek shelter in the port of Portland on the Dorset coast. Within the harbour HMS Foylebank was acting as an AA guardship. Sadly, instead of being able to provide much assistance to the convoy, Foylebank found herself a sitting duck and was subjected to a concerted attack by German dive-bombers. Foylebank was hit by numerous bombs and she soon sank, taking with her 176 of her 298 crew. .P One of those killed was Leading Seaman Jack Mantle. For his actions that day, Mantle won the highest award for bravery in the face of the enemy, the Victoria Cross. Mantle was operating the starboard pompom when Foylebank came under attack. He was badly wounded early in the attack, when bomb splinters tore into his left leg, but he refused to leave his gun. With his leg shattered, he remained at his gun, taking further punishment in the process. He eventually passed out and was carried away from the sinking ship. However his injuries were too severe and brave Mantle died soon afterwards. .P It was the end for Foylebank too, as she sank in the shallow harbour. She was raised after the war and scrapped. .B .B HMS Pozerica .B Engine(s) output: 2,640 hp .B Top Speed: 16.5 knots .B Main armament: 6 x 4-inch (102mm) guns and 8 x 2-pdr pompoms .B Gross Registered Tons: 1,893 tons .B Thickest Armour: n/a .P Having been built in 1938, Pozerica began life as a fruit carrier, working for MacAndrews & Co Limited. She was requisitioned by the Admiralty in 1940 for use as an auxiliary AA ship. .P Armed with six four-inch high angle guns, four twin 2-pdrs and ten 20mm Oerlikons, she began her new role in March 1941, deployed with the Western Approaches Command. She was initially used to escort convoys in the Irish Sea before being ordered north to undertake escort duty with the Arctic convoys sailing to and from the Soviet Union. .P HMS Pozerica took part in the most costly Arctic convoy of the Second World War, PQ17. This convoy (carrying 150,000 tons of supplies, almost 300 aircraft, 600 tanks and over 4,000 vehicles of all types) contained a heavier escort than had previously been used as a result of the losses suffered by PQ16 (see ASW British Counter 4703). The ocean escort, consisted of six destroyers, four corvettes, three minesweepers, four armed trawlers, a CAM-ship and two auxiliary AA ships (Pozerica's sister ship Palomares had also been similarly converted). PQ17 also had a cruiser screen consisting of HM ships London and Norfolk together with two US cruisers and three destroyers. Two further layers of defence, employed to guard against the threat from the Kriegsmarine's remaining surface fleet, was the distant covering force and the US Navy Task Force 99. The former consisted of the fleet carrier Victorious, the battleship Duke of York (flagship of Admiral Tovey); the cruisers Cumberland and Nigeria and supporting destroyers. Task Force 99 contained the battleship Washington flagship of Rear-Admiral Giffen) and her destroyer screen. .P Another feature of PQ17 was a dummy convoy operation, code-named Operation ES. ES was a feint into the Norwegian Sea by the cruisers Curacoa and Sirius together with supporting destroyers and smaller escort vessels; the latter acting as escort for four colliers. As it turned out, German reconnaissance failed to pick out this force, even though the exercise was repeated a few days later. .P On the 14th June, Allied intelligence picked up details of a German operation code-named Rösselsprung (Knight's Move) which set out plans for the destruction of the next Arctic convoy. The plan involved detection of the convoy before it reached Jan Mayen island, whereupon it would come under air attack. Once Bear Island was reached further east, there would be a co-ordinated air and sea attack by a strengthened Luftwaffe, U-boats and up to five German surface ships, including the battleship Tirpitz. .P PQ17, consisting of thirty-six merchant vessels and commanded by Commodore J Dowding, left Iceland on the 27th June 1942, while the day before, the thirty- five strong convoy QP13 left Russia and headed west. For escort, QP13 had five destroyers, four corvettes, two minesweepers, two trawlers, the AA ship Alynbank and a submarine. The two convoys passed each other on the 2nd July and QP13 was ordered to split into two, with nineteen ships sailing for Scotland and sixteen heading for Iceland as planned. The Scotland bound vessels reached their destination without drama, but those heading for Iceland ran into a minefield. The minesweeper Niger struck a mine and blew up with the loss of 119 men. In quick order, five merchant vessels also struck mines and sunk with further heavy loss of life. .P Meanwhile PQ17 had already lost three ships to mechanical trouble before it was met by its ocean escort on the 30th June. The convoy was soon being shadowed by U-boats and ten of these were in the vicinity, assisted by reconnaissance aircraft. The initial enemy attacks were beaten off, as was a strike by nine He115's which attacked Pozarica, and the Luftwaffe lost an aircraft in the for their trouble. At this time the U-boats maintained pressure on the convoy, but again without success. .P However, the Luftwaffe finally got some reward for their endeavours. On the 4th July, Palomares was attacked by a force of He111's armed with torpedoes. One of these missed its intended target but hit the liberty ship Christopher Newport which was later sunk by U-457. This was quickly followed by the loss of two further merchants, Navarino and William Hooper. .P At this point, the fog of war was to rear its head. The British, acting on intelligence reports indicating a sortie by Tirpitz, the armoured cruiser Scheer and the heavy cruiser Hipper, ordered the scattering of the convoy. The thinking was that the merchant vessels would be more likely to reach the Soviet Union if they were dispersed rather than grouped together. The fateful order was given on the evening of 4th July. However, Hitler had ordered that his surface ships should not attack if there was an aircraft carrier or a superior naval force present. Therefore, when German reconnaissance wrongly reported that a carrier and a battleship were present with the convoy, the plan to attack PQ17 with surface ships was halted and the German ships returned to port. .P The scattered merchant vessels were easy targets for the Luftwaffe and the U- boats. No less than twelve ships were lost on the 5th July, two on the 6th, three on the 7th, one on the 8th and finally, two more on the 10th. Including the three vessels lost before the scatter order, twenty-four heavily laden merchant ships, packed with supplies for the Red Army had been sunk. 153 officers and men were killed. .P Pozerica survived the harsh Arctic theatre and, later in 1942, she was converted once more; this time for use as a fighter direction ship. It was in this guise that she took part in Operation Torch; the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942 (see HMS Delhi). .P It was while operating in these waters the following January, that she was attacked by an enemy torpedo bomber. Although able to reach port after being hit by a torpedo, the operation to save her was in vain and she sank on the 13th February 1943.

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England expects that every man will do his duty - Horatio Nelson 1805.

I have tidied up the write-up for Pozerica following Extraneous' quiz question. If anyone has any details about the equipment provided to the Fighter Direction Ships I would be grateful. Would like to use Tynwald for part of the Torch story.

[4701 ASW British] .P These ASW counters are only used if playing with the Convoy In Flames optional rule. The counters do not represent any specific individual convoy or any particular ships, but are designed to represent convoy escort groups. They have mixed values reflecting the fact that the make-up of an escort group could differ from one convoy to the next. Examples of escort vessels used during the Second World War were: escort carriers, destroyers, destroyer escorts, corvettes, sloops, trawlers etc - in other words a wide variety of ship type was used in the defence of merchant vessels. .P At the start of the war the Royal Navy (RN) had too few escorts to allow it to undertake all its required duties; protecting convoys, escorting capital ships etc. Matters were made worse by heavy losses incurred off Norway and the Low Countries, but gradually, the problem was resolved. A large shipbuilding program was begun, almost from scratch, in Canada, while in the United Kingdom, priority was given to the construction of specialised escort vessels. The Lend-Lease bill passed in the United States further assisted the cause. As the war progressed, the escorts available to the navies of the Commonwealth not only grew in number, but also in effectiveness - in particular their anti-aircraft (AA) and anti- submarine (ASW) capability. .P There were two main threats to ocean-going convoys: Surface raiders and U-boats, while closer to shore, aircraft and mines were a particular menace. Unfortunately for the Kriegsmarine, the surface raiders record against Allied convoys was ultimately to prove a disappointment. In contrast to its U-boat arm, neither its warships nor its assortment of auxiliary cruisers came anywhere near causing the level of destruction they had hoped for. .P Unrestricted submarine warfare by the Germans in the First World War brought the United Kingdom to the brink of defeat. The UK survived thanks largely to the introduction of the convoy system, which provided the previously unguarded and mostly unarmed merchant vessels with warship protection. .P At the outbreak of World War II convoys were re-introduced as quickly as possible, but there had been a lack of investment in time and resources devoted to the subject of convoy defence during the inter-war years. This not only led to the shortage of specialist escort vessels, but those the RN did have were fitted with only rudimentary AA and ASW equipment. .P Fortunately for the British, the Kriegsmarine were equally, if not more unprepared, and actually started the war with only fifty-seven U-boats. Of these, just twenty-six were capable of Atlantic operations. The Germans moved quickly to rectify this deficiency via a large scale U-boat build program, and great success was achieved in the first half of the Second World War. This led Winston Churchill to later admit that the only thing that frightened him in World War II was the U-boat threat. For a time the U-boats were sinking more merchant ships than could be replaced, but in the end, the greater resources open to the Allies; more ships and better technology, ground the U-boat menace into oblivion. .P During the Second World War, the potency of aircraft as ship killers became evident. Most convoy routes came under threat from air attack at some point along their length. To reach out into the Atlantic and Arctic, the Germans employed their long range Focke-Wulf FW200 Condor aircraft that had a range of 2,212 miles (3,560km) and a 14-hour endurance. For more confined waters like the North Sea, the English Channel and the Mediterranean, the Axis forces were able to employ their shorter range aircraft in the ship killer role. Ultimately, a combination of escort carriers and stronger AA capability on board the escorts managed to neutralise this threat too. Mines were to prove a potent weapon too, and the Germans were very active in sowing minefields throughout the war. Clearing paths through these obstacles was a vital role and the minesweepers of the RN saved many a ship with their unsung work. .P Of all the Allied convoy routes, the Atlantic was the most important. The Battle of the Atlantic was to be the longest battle in World War II. Had the Allies lost, the United Kingdom could have been literally starved into defeat. It is worth remembering here that the men of the Merchant Navy suffered a higher percentage of losses compared to the British Army, RN or Royal Air Force in World War II, and these losses were mostly incurred in bringing food and supplies to Britain. .P In addition, the movement of troops from the United States and the far flung colonies and dominions of the Commonwealth to the frontline; France, India, North Africa etc would have been much more hazardous if the Axis had control of the sea lanes. That this did not happen is down to the bravery and sacrifice of those that fought the enemy in all major sea areas of the world. These write-ups tell some of those stories. .P Note, the date on the back of these ASW and ASW Carrier counters do not relate in any meaningful way to actual build dates for the ships that took undertook the convoy escort role during World War II. The counter date should therefore be ignored. In addition, the counter mix is unbalanced in terms of origin of the escorts and those with an aircraft component. As a result there will be a degree of RN ship write-ups on Canadian counters and carrier units being used to describe non-Carrier counters. Finally, because these smaller ships do not have their own counter, some of the more important non-convoy related episodes of the war that involved these ship types, are also told within some of these write-ups. .P These counters give information on the main types of convoy escort that were available to the RN and the dominion navies. This write-up looks at two auxiliary AA ships, HMS Foylebank and HMS Pozarica. .P To better protect convoys that were vulnerable to air attack, during 1940-41, the Admiralty converted seven merchant ships specifically for use in an AA role. An eighth ship - the former armed merchant cruiser HMCS Prince Robert - was so converted in 1943. The eight ships were Alynbank, Foylebank, Palomares, Pozarica, Prince Robert, Springbank, Tynwald and Ulster Queen. These ships were given a relatively powerful AA capability and proved useful addition to convoy defence. Some of the ships were used extensively on the Arctic convoys to the Soviet Union. Four of these ships were lost during the war. .B .B HMS Foylebank .B Engine(s) output: ? hp .B Top Speed: 14 knots .B Main armament: 8 x 4-inch (102mm) guns and 8 x 2-pdr pompoms .B Gross Registered Tons: 5,582 tons .B Thickest Armour: n/a .P Foylebank was built for the Bank Line in 1930. She was designed for use as a general cargo vessel. However, by the end of that decade, she was to be used for a very different purpose. .P Soon after the outbreak of the Second World War, Foylebank was requisitioned by the Admiralty for conversion into an AA auxiliary. For this role she was fitted with eight high angle 4-inch guns as well as four twin 2-pdrs and ten 20mm Oerlikons. Sadly HMS Foylebank - as she was now officially titled - was to have a very short existence. .P After the defeat of France, the English Channel became a very dangerous place for merchant ships. Initially the British refused to give up using the Channel, and convoys to and from the port of London were routed through this narrow waterway rather than the much longer option of sailing via the north of Scotland. This decision put convoys at risk of both enemy aircraft and enemy torpedo boats. The fate of convoy OA178 reflects the seriousness of the situation in the summer of 1940. .P OA178 was a large convoy heading for Nova Scotia that left London on July 3, 1940. Reconaissance aircraft spotted the fourteen-ship convoy and the next day the Luftwaffe ordered Stukas into the air to attack the vulnerable ships. .P After hits were recorded on at least four of the merchant vessels, the order was given to seek shelter in the port of Portland on the Dorset coast. Within the harbour HMS Foylebank was acting as an AA guardship. Sadly, instead of being able to provide much assistance to the convoy, Foylebank found herself a sitting duck and was subjected to a concerted attack by German dive-bombers. Numerous bombs hit Foylebank and she soon sank, taking 176 of her 298 crew with her. .P One of those killed was Leading Seaman Jack Mantle. For his actions that day, Mantle won the highest award for bravery in the face of the enemy, the Victoria Cross. Mantle was operating the starboard pompom when Foylebank came under attack. He was badly wounded early in the attack, when bomb splinters tore into his left leg, but he refused to leave his gun. With his leg shattered, he remained at his gun, taking further punishment in the process. He eventually passed out and was carried away from the sinking ship. However his injuries were too severe and brave Mantle died soon afterwards. .P It was the end for Foylebank too, as she sank in the shallow harbour. She was raised after the war and scrapped. .B .B HMS Pozerica .B Engine(s) output: 2,640 hp .B Top Speed: 16.5 knots .B Main armament: 6 x 4-inch (102mm) guns and 8 x 2-pdr pompoms .B Gross Registered Tons: 1,893 tons .B Thickest Armour: n/a .P Having been built in 1938, Pozerica began life as a fruit carrier, working for MacAndrews & Co Limited. The Admiralty requisitioned her in 1940 for use as an auxiliary AA ship. .P Armed with six four-inch high angle guns, four twin 2-pdrs and ten 20mm Oerlikons, she began her new role in March 1941, deployed with the Western Approaches Command. She was initially used to escort convoys in the Irish Sea before being ordered north to undertake escort duty with the Arctic convoys sailing to and from the Soviet Union. .P HMS Pozerica took part in the most costly Arctic convoy of the Second World War, PQ17. This convoy (carrying 150,000 tons of supplies, almost 300 aircraft, 600 tanks and over 4,000 vehicles of all types) contained a heavier escort than had previously been used as a result of the losses suffered by PQ16 (see ASW British Counter 4703). The ocean escort, consisted of six destroyers, four corvettes, three minesweepers, four armed trawlers, a CAM-ship and two auxiliary AA ships (Pozerica's sister ship Palomares had also been similarly converted). PQ17 also had a cruiser screen consisting of HM ships London and Norfolk together with two US cruisers and three destroyers. Two further layers of defence, employed to guard against the threat from the Kriegsmarine's remaining surface fleet, was the distant covering force and the US Navy Task Force 99. The former consisted of the fleet carrier Victorious, the battleship Duke of York (flagship of Admiral Tovey); the cruisers Cumberland and Nigeria and supporting destroyers. Task Force 99 contained the battleship Washington flagship of Rear-Admiral Giffen) and her destroyer screen. .P Another feature of PQ17 was a dummy convoy operation, code-named Operation ES. ES was a feint into the Norwegian Sea by the cruisers Curacoa and Sirius together with supporting destroyers and smaller escort vessels; the latter acting as escort for four colliers. As it turned out, German reconnaissance failed to pick out this force, even though the exercise was repeated a few days later. .P On the 14th June, Allied intelligence picked up details of a German operation code-named Rösselsprung (Knight's Move) which set out plans for the destruction of the next Arctic convoy. The plan involved detection of the convoy before it reached Jan Mayen Island, whereupon it would come under air attack. Once Bear Island was reached further east, there would be a coordinated air and sea attack by a strengthened Luftwaffe, U-boats and up to five German surface ships, including the battleship Tirpitz. .P PQ17, consisting of thirty-six merchant vessels and commanded by Commodore J Dowding, left Iceland on the 27th June 1942, while the day before, the thirty- five strong convoy QP13 left Russia and headed west. For escort, QP13 had five destroyers, four corvettes, two minesweepers, two trawlers, the AA ship Alynbank and a submarine. The two convoys passed each other on the 2nd July and QP13 was ordered to split into two, with nineteen ships sailing for Scotland and sixteen heading for Iceland as planned. The Scotland bound vessels reached their destination without drama, but those heading for Iceland ran into a minefield. The minesweeper Niger struck a mine and blew up with the loss of 119 men. In quick order, five merchant vessels also struck mines and sunk with further heavy loss of life. .P Meanwhile PQ17 had already lost three ships to mechanical trouble before it was met by its ocean escort on the 30th June. The convoy was soon being shadowed by U-boats and ten of these were in the vicinity, assisted by reconnaissance aircraft. The initial enemy attacks were beaten off, as was a strike by nine He115's which attacked Pozarica, and the Luftwaffe lost an aircraft in the for their trouble. At this time the U-boats maintained pressure on the convoy, but again without success. .P However, the Luftwaffe finally got some reward for their endeavours. On July 4th, a force of He111’s armed with torpedoes attacked Palomares. One of these missed its intended target but hit the liberty ship Christopher Newport which was later sunk by U-457. This was quickly followed by the loss of two further merchants, Navarino and William Hooper. .P At this point, the fog of war was to rear its head. The British, acting on intelligence reports indicating a sortie by Tirpitz, the armoured cruiser Scheer and the heavy cruiser Hipper, ordered the scattering of the convoy. The thinking was that the merchant vessels would be more likely to reach the Soviet Union if they were dispersed rather than grouped together. The fateful order was given on the evening of 4th July. However, Hitler had ordered that his surface ships should not attack if there was an aircraft carrier or a superior naval force present. Therefore, when German reconnaissance wrongly reported that a carrier and a battleship were present with the convoy, the plan to attack PQ17 with surface ships was halted and the German ships returned to port. .P The scattered merchant vessels were easy targets for the Luftwaffe and the U- boats. No less than twelve ships were lost on the 5th July, two on the 6th, three on the 7th, one on the 8th and finally, two more on the 10th. Including the three vessels lost before the scatter order, twenty-four heavily laden merchant ships, packed with supplies for the Red Army had been sunk. 153 officers and men were killed. .P Pozerica survived the harsh Arctic theatre and, later in 1942, she was converted once more; this time for use as a fighter direction ship. It was in this guise that she took part in Operation Torch; the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942 (see HMS Delhi). .P It was while operating in these waters the following January, that she was attacked by an enemy torpedo bomber. Although able to reach port after being hit by a torpedo, the operation to save her was in vain and she sank on the February 13, 1943.

Allen Tony 22/11/2007 HMS Foylebank was a Merchant vessel of 5,582 tons (ex ‘Andrew Weir’ ) requisitioned in 1939 and converted into an anti-aircraft gunship for patrols around Britain´s east coast. In June 1940, as the Battle of Britain was in progress, she arrived at the harbour of the Royal Naval Base of Portland in England’s south coast. At breakfast time on July 4 the ship was attacked by a squadron of German JU 8 7 Stuka dive bombers.

In an action that lasted only eight minutes the Foylebank (Captain H. Wilson) was hit by over twenty bombs. The vessel listed to port and shrouded in smoke and flames, finally sank. Casualties among her 298 man crew were 176 men killed and many injured. The question one may ask is ´where was Fighter Command during the attack on the Foylebank? as the Tangmere RAF Station was only a few minutes flying time away.

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University of Science Music and Culture (USMC) class of 71 and 72 ~ Extraneous (AKA Mziln)

Metric air warning set with separate Tx / Rx antennas. Based upon Army GL Mark I set, fitted to C class cruisers converted to anti-aircraft ships. This set used a Precision Ranging Panel, which passed accurate radar ranges directly to the HACS table (analog computer).

Another complication arose when the H.M.S. Alynbank that had been tasked to position 35 miles off the coast of Oran, Algeria and broadcast a homing beacon on 440 kilocycles instead broadcast unheard on 460 kilocycles. As a result, aircraft had no way to make course corrections before arriving over the coast. A final navigation problem was encountered when OSS Agent Gordon H. Browne took two heavy suitcases with a EUREKA set inside out before midnight in the back of a French Ambulance to a deserted area near Tafaraoui AIrfield. Once in position he set up the nine-foot antenna and began broadcasting at the designated time for Plan "A". Browne was unaware that the 509th had been notified to execute Plan "B".

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University of Science Music and Culture (USMC) class of 71 and 72 ~ Extraneous (AKA Mziln)

Please see (hopefully!) the fnal draft for the Audacious-class carriers.

[5098 Canada] .B Engine(s) output: 152,000hp .B Top Speed: 32 knots .B Main armament: 16 x 4.5-inch (114mm) guns and 64 x 2-pdr pompoms .B Aircraft: 78 .B Displacement (full load): 46,000 tons .B Thickest armour: 4.5-inch (belt) .P For the purposes of this write-up, it is assumed that this carrier is from the Audacious-class, as the factors given to this counter most closely match those of the three historical carriers from that class. .P The Audacious-class was originally planned as a four-ship class of aircraft carrier, with the first ship authorised in 1940. However, it was only in late 1942 that the first vessel was laid down, with the second ship following in May 1943. The third carrier was laid down in April 1944 but she was to be cancelled in January 1946. The fourth ship was cancelled before being laid down and was re-ordered as a Malta-class carrier. HMCS Canada is a "what if" counter that gives the Commonwealth player the option of building the fourth planned Audacious-class carrier. .P The original design called for a logical development of the Implacable-class although construction was hampered by other priorities and, more importantly, the need to revise the design to allow the ships to take newer, bigger aircraft; this would ultimately include the need to operate jet aircraft. .P As a result, the two ships that were completed - Eagle and Ark Royal - were only became ready for service during the 1950's and they would look very different not only to their original design, but also to each other. .P Marrying the Audacious-class World In Flames counters to their historical counterparts is not straightforward, but can be summarised as follows. .B Ships of the class: .B Eagle II - Eagle II was the ship cancelled in 1946. .B Ark Royal II - originally to have been named Irresistable, Ark Royal was renamed in honour of the most famous British aircraft carrier of World War II. She was one of the two ships completed during the fifties. HMS Ark Royal served with the RN until the late seventies. She was scrapped in 1980. .B Audacious - the name ship of the class also underwent a change of name while under construction. She was renamed HMS Eagle, to commemorate the carrier of that name sunk during Operation Pedestal in 1942 (see HMS Sirius). She too served with the RN until the seventies, although her latter years saw her canabalised in order to keep Ark Royal afloat. HMS Eagle was scrapped in 1978. .B Canada - this was the ship cancelled prior to being laid down. For World In Flames purposes she replaces HMS Africa - which was the ship re-ordered as a Malta-class carrier. In World In Flames she is a Canadian ship. Towards the end of the war the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) provided the manpower for a couple of escort carriers, and after the war two light fleet carriers were purchased from Britain. This "what if" counter explores the possibility that the RCN expanded their fleet further. .P The technical detail above reflects the original design and how these carriers would have appeared in World War II had their construction been quicker. The design was a logical development of the Implacable-class, and featured a number of improvements over their predecessors. .P At almost a third bigger, the Audacious-class were projected to be able to operate up to 78 aircraft; still well below the number available to the US Navy's Essex-class but an increase on the Implacables. .P The reason that the size of the air group was still less than their smaller US counterparts was because of the fact that the Audacious-class continued the Royal Navy's preference for armoured carriers. The protection afforded to these ships was not greater in every area when compared to their predecessors, but was increased or decreased as considered optimal. For example, while the armoured flight deck was an extra inch thicker at 4-inches, the hangar sides were 0.5- inches thinner. The belt armour, at 4.5-inches, remained the same. .P The extra weight of this new class allowed a longer, wider vessel with two full height hangars, thus ensuring that there was no repeat of the problem with the Implacable-class whereby the latter ships could not operate Corsair aircraft. These two hangars were served by two lifts. .P The class were to have been fitted with two, powerful catapults, capable of launching up to 30,000lbs at 75 knots. The Aviation fuel capacity remained on the limited side at 103,000 gallons; only a modest increase over the Implacables despite a larger air group. .P The Audacious-class ships were to have been fitted with more powerful machinery than the Implacables in order to maintain a top speed of 32 knots. .P For defensive armament, the ships were to rely upon sixteen of the 4.5-inch guns used on the previous three classes, and sixty-four 2-pounder pompoms for close-range anti-aircraft defence. .P The Audacious-class ships, had they been completed to their original design and been completed in time to serve during World War II, would have been an excellent addition to the Pacific Fleet. As the Commonwealth player, you have the ability to make that happen.

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England expects that every man will do his duty - Horatio Nelson 1805.

Please see (hopefully!) the fnal draft for the Audacious-class carriers.

[5098 Canada] .B Engine(s) output: 152,000hp .B Top Speed: 32 knots .B Main armament: 16 x 4.5-inch (114mm) guns and 64 x 2-pdr pompoms .B Aircraft: 78 .B Displacement (full load): 46,000 tons .B Thickest armour: 4.5-inch (belt) .P For the purposes of this write-up, it is assumed that this carrier is from the Audacious-class, as the factors given to this counter most closely match those of the three historical carriers from that class. .P The Audacious-class was originally planned as a four-ship class of aircraft carrier, with the first ship authorised in 1940. However, it was only in late 1942 that the first vessel was laid down, with the second ship following in May 1943. The third carrier was laid down in April 1944 but she was to be cancelled in January 1946. The fourth ship was cancelled before being laid down and was re-ordered as a Malta-class carrier. HMCS Canada is a "what if" counter that gives the Commonwealth player the option of building the fourth planned Audacious-class carrier. .P The original design called for a logical development of the Implacable-class although construction was hampered by other priorities and, more importantly, the need to revise the design to allow the ships to take newer, bigger aircraft; this would ultimately include the need to operate jet aircraft. .P As a result, the two ships that were completed - Eagle and Ark Royal - were only became ready for service during the 1950's and they would look very different not only to their original design, but also to each other. .P Marrying the Audacious-class World In Flames counters to their historical counterparts is not straightforward, but can be summarised as follows. .B Ships of the class: .B Eagle II - Eagle II was the ship cancelled in 1946. .B Ark Royal II - originally to have been named Irresistable, Ark Royal was renamed in honour of the most famous British aircraft carrier of World War II. She was one of the two ships completed during the fifties. HMS Ark Royal served with the RN until the late seventies. She was scrapped in 1980. .B Audacious - the name ship of the class also underwent a change of name while under construction. She was renamed HMS Eagle, to commemorate the carrier of that name sunk during Operation Pedestal in 1942 (see HMS Sirius). She too served with the RN until the seventies, although her latter years saw her canabalised in order to keep Ark Royal afloat. HMS Eagle was scrapped in 1978. .B Canada - this was the ship cancelled prior to being laid down. For World In Flames purposes she replaces HMS Africa - which was the ship re-ordered as a Malta-class carrier. In World In Flames she is a Canadian ship. Towards the end of the war the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) provided the manpower for a couple of escort carriers, and after the war two light fleet carriers were purchased from Britain. This "what if" counter explores the possibility that the RCN expanded their fleet further. .P The technical detail above reflects the original design and how these carriers would have appeared in World War II had their construction been quicker. The design was a logical development of the Implacable-class, and featured a number of improvements over their predecessors. .P At almost a third bigger, the Audacious-class were projected to be able to operate up to 78 aircraft; still well below the number available to the US Navy's Essex-class but an increase on the Implacables. .P The reason that the size of the air group was still less than their smaller US counterparts was because of the fact that the Audacious-class continued the Royal Navy's preference for armoured carriers. The protection afforded to these ships was not greater in every area when compared to their predecessors, but was increased or decreased as considered optimal. For example, while the armoured flight deck was an extra inch thicker at 4-inches, the hangar sides were 0.5- inches thinner. The belt armour, at 4.5-inches, remained the same. .P The extra weight of this new class allowed a longer, wider vessel with two full height hangars, thus ensuring that there was no repeat of the problem with the Implacable-class whereby the latter ships could not operate Corsair aircraft. These two hangars were served by two lifts. .P The class were to have been fitted with two, powerful catapults, capable of launching up to 30,000lbs at 75 knots. The Aviation fuel capacity remained on the limited side at 103,000 gallons; only a modest increase over the Implacables despite a larger air group. .P The Audacious-class ships were to have been fitted with more powerful machinery than the Implacables in order to maintain a top speed of 32 knots. .P For defensive armament, the ships were to rely upon sixteen of the 4.5-inch guns used on the previous three classes, and sixty-four 2-pounder pompoms for close-range anti-aircraft defence. .P The Audacious-class ships, had they been completed to their original design and been completed in time to serve during World War II, would have been an excellent addition to the Pacific Fleet. As the Commonwealth player, you have the ability to make that happen.

Well done

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University of Science Music and Culture (USMC) class of 71 and 72 ~ Extraneous (AKA Mziln)

Hey, Rob. I don't give you nearly as much credit as I should. You're such a workhorse that I guess I take you a little for granted. I'm sorry about that.

So, I want you to do me another favor, please and pick out a handful of your favorite naval units and/or naval unit write-ups. Maybe 5 or 6 will do. Since you are so good about posting your write-ups here, I want to make screenshots of your favorites so that people can see what they actually look like once they are in the game. Is that okay with you?

You can either post here or send me the list, and I'll get them done that day (assuming you've already sent me the copy).

-Aaron

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Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done and why. Then do it! -Lazarus Long, RAH

In the meantime, does anyone know who crewed the US "auxiliary" ships such as the seaplane tender USS Tangier, the oiler USS Neosho etc. I assume they were crewed by USN personnel, but would like to make sure.

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England expects that every man will do his duty - Horatio Nelson 1805.